Britia’s scream startled the empress, making her flinch.
“What’s wrong, Bri…?”
The empress looked up, noticing a large shadow looming over her. Sig was staring down at her with a frightening expression.
“Sig?”
As she tilted her head in confusion, Sig forcefully swatted the cup from her hand. It shattered on the floor with a loud crash.
“Sig, what are you doing?”
The emperor asked, his expression tense. He couldn’t believe Sig, who had never acted so rudely, would do something like this.
Was he looking foolish now that he had announced his intention to step down? The thought fueled the emperor’s anger toward Sig.
“Sig, I asked you what you were doing!”
“I’m sorry.”
He had instinctively struck the cup after Britia had called out for the empress, unable to explain his sudden action.
“Sig! Grab that maid—no, not just the maid, anyone! Get her!”
Britia pointed frantically at the maid trying to slip away.
“Quickly!”
At Britia’s urging, Sig hurried after the escaping maid. The emperor felt his frustration boil over as Sig fled without responding to his commands.
“Sig, get back here right now…!”
“Your Majesty!”
The attendants and maids were in a frenzy, calling out to the emperor. They pointed to the grass, now soaked and darkened with water. To be precise, it was grass that had been poisoned and was now wilting away, emitting smoke.
“Oh my, was I about to drink that?”
The empress’s shocked voice hit the emperor like a punch to the gut. He rushed to grip her face, his voice rising in urgency.
“Did you drink it?!”
He had been watching and knew she hadn’t touched it yet. The empress insisted she hadn’t, but the emperor needed further confirmation.
“I’m asking if you drank it!”
His heart raced, pounding in his chest. His breath became erratic, and he felt his jaw tremble.
“I… didn’t drink it. I.. *hiccup*… didn’t drink.”
She was still in shock, which caused her to hiccup.
Even after hearing her answer, the emperor’s worry didn’t fade as he scanned her face for signs of distress.
“Your face looks flushed. You feel hot too, and your eyes are glassy. High Priest!”
“That’s just because I drank… hiccup… some alcohol…”
“Your breathing seems labored!”
“It’s just hiccups!”
“High Priest!”
The emperor shouted, demanding immediate action. The empress, wrapped tightly in his arms, blinked slowly, feeling a bit smothered by his embrace.
“The empress has ingested poison!”
The emperor declared as the High Priest rushed over in alarm.
“She didn’t drink anything, Your Majesty.”
“Even if she didn’t drink directly, there must be some effect. Just look at her. She’s slurring her words.”
“That’s because you’re pressing against her; it’s suffocating her.”
Despite the empress’s reassurances that she was fine, the emperor refused to listen.
Meanwhile, Sig confronted the fleeing head maid in the outdoor corridor.
“I don’t know anything about it, Duke Turas!”
Trapped at a dead end, she pleaded her innocence, insisting she hadn’t poisoned the water.
“If you don’t know anything, then why are you running?”
“I was too shocked! I told Violetta to pour the water! I was just passing on the message!”
She insisted that if they called Violetta, they could confirm her story.
“Please, you have to believe me. I swear!”
“Nancy.”
A name slipped from Sig’s lips, causing the maid’s expression to shift dramatically, her face shifting from fear to a hollow laugh.
“How did you know that name?”
Purple powder flickered from her open mouth as her demeanor changed visibly.
It was clear now; she should have taken care of Britia Lockhart first.
Nancy regretted her hesitation. She had already anticipated that Britia would ruin her plan, but fear had gotten the best of her. The “mad dog” had also been a problem—always by Britia’s side, never giving her a chance to make a move.
“Speak, Nancy. Did Duke Camelon order this?”
Nancy’s breathing became erratic as Sig approached with heavy steps.
She gripped the hidden dagger, but never once thought she could actually win against him. The realization that there was no escape washed over her. Even if she wanted to run, her legs felt heavy with fear.
If it meant getting caught by the mad dog, she’d rather end her life by her own hands.
With that resolve, she raised the dagger to her throat, but even that didn’t go as planned. Sig was already there, grabbing her wrist with the knife before she could act.
“Where is Duke Camelon?”
The strength in his grip was crushing, causing Nancy’s face to contort in pain.
—
The following morning, which could have been disastrous had the wedding taken place, the Empress woke up with a slight hangover. It wasn’t too severe, just a mild nausea and fatigue.
“Your Majesty.”
Her voice was a bit hoarse. When the Empress called out, the Emperor, who had been sitting by her bedside, snapped his head up.
His eyes, which usually seemed incapable of shedding a tear, were now red and swollen.
Had he been crying? This man, crying over me?
She had always assumed she’d be the only one shedding tears in their lifetime together, but here they were.
The Empress felt a strange sensation. She wasn’t really in pain, but she suddenly felt like indulging in a bit of weakness.
“My hands are cold. Would you hold them for me?”
She put on a sad face as she made the request. The Emperor obediently took her hand, but oddly enough, his hand felt colder than hers, even trembling slightly.
“I wondered why you were so insistent on making me drink that water. Turns out it was poison. Are you that disappointed I didn’t drink it and die?”
“Don’t say such things…!”
The Emperor’s face twisted as if crumbling under the weight of his emotions.
“I said it because you looked so serious.”
“There are things you shouldn’t joke about.”
His voice was stern, but far too soft. He spoke in such a low tone, as if raising it might break something fragile.
That alone was so unlike him, but the way his eyes continued to fill with sorrow was even more unusual. His dark eyes looked as though they could burst into rainclouds at any moment, and soon, a tear slipped down his face.
“Your Majesty…”
The Empress called out, shocked, as more tears followed. As she tried to sit up, the Emperor, still crying, gently tried to lay her back down.
“I’m fine.”
She declined, instead studying his tear-streaked face more closely.
“Your Majesty, you really do look terribly ugly when you cry.”
She had never seen him cry before, and honestly, he looked awful. She teased him playfully. The Emperor, mid-cry, frowned deeply.
“Aren’t you embarrassed to cry so openly in front of Britia? Look at her, standing there at the foot of the bed, just watching.”
The Empress pointed to Britia, who had been standing silently by the bed, looking awkward and unsure.
“You must be feeling better if you’re making jokes.”
The Emperor’s voice was calmer now, though still tinged with frustration, as he stood up. He had been so overwhelmed with emotion, but now that embarrassment started to creep in.
“I’m not joking. You really are ugly.”
“What?”
“And I’ve been fine from the start. You’re the one who panicked and blew everything out of proportion.”
The Empress smiled, appearing quite healthy. Although she felt a bit uncomfortable about being called ugly, the brightness of her smile reassured the Emperor.
“Britia Lockhart, I have something for you.”
The Emperor pointed his gaze at the dagger on the table.
“Anyone suspicious who approaches while guarding the Empress should be stabbed to death.”
Britia was taken aback by the command to kill. What was she supposed to do with a dagger?
“All of them. Leave no one alive. If anyone raises suspicion, just kill them. Even if they turn out to be innocent later, it won’t matter.”
The Emperor emphasized his words, his eyes stern. Britia glanced between the dagger and the Emperor, her lips trembling.
“Um, Your Majesty… is there a bow available?”
Britia asked cautiously.
“I’m not skilled with a dagger.”
“So, you can handle a bow, then?”
“It’s not anything fancy, but I’m definitely better with a bow than with a dagger…”
The Emperor gave her a sideways glance and turned away. Soon, a soldier brought a bow and quiver.
“I can’t understand why you’re making such a fuss, Your Majesty.”
The Empress chuckled at the sight of Britia, who was now equipped with a bow and quiver on her back.
“Isn’t it a serious matter?”
The thought of assassinating the Empress was terrifying, even if she had been present during the conversation. The Empress observed Britia’s sigh of relief and couldn’t help but smile.
“Britia, thank you so much for saving my life.”
She jokingly remarked that she could have died believing the Emperor was responsible for poisoning her.
“I’m always grateful to you for everything.”
Britia felt a rush of emotion at the gratitude and vowed deep down to protect the Empress with all her strength. Surely, nothing else would happen, right?
…It wouldn’t happen again, would it?
Britia tightened her grip on the bow.
—
As the Emperor left the bedroom, he strode purposefully toward the room where Sig and the Crown Prince were waiting. As he opened the door, he immediately asked,
“Did you catch Camelon?”
It was already clear that Duke Camelon was the one who had attempted to kill the Empress. In fact, Nancy had confessed that the Emperor himself had been the one who intended the assassination.
Both Sig and the Crown Prince shook their heads, their expressions somber.
“Not yet.”
The Emperor kicked over a chair in frustration.
“Why not!”
The loud crash made the Crown Prince flinch.
“Speak, Sig. I ordered you to bring that man to me immediately. Why haven’t you?”
“It seems he escaped the Empire before we could attempt the assassination.”
The Crown Prince explained that it was not Sig’s fault; the Duke must have intended to flee from the very beginning.
“I almost killed the Empress myself. I handed her the poison with this hand and told her to drink it with this mouth. It was me, no one else!”
The Emperor shouted in anger, slamming his fists on the desk.
They had just begun to mend their relationship. They had hoped to live in peace together!
After confessing his love secretly, his wife had laughed happily. Yet here she was, almost dying from the poison he had given her.
His hands still trembled.
“With these hands, with these hands!”
As the Emperor raised his right hand to strike his left fist, the Crown Prince grabbed his arm to stop him.
“Bring him back. You must capture that man!”
“Uncle, if we catch the Duke, what do you want me to do with him?”
Sig asked, looking at the furious Emperor. He had always wanted to kill Duke Camelon, who had coveted his brother’s position and tried to kidnap Britia. Now he was after their aunt, too.
He wanted to rip him apart but couldn’t express that, knowing how much the Emperor cherished him.
Sig watched the enraged Emperor closely.
What would the Emperor do once he was captured? Would he ask why? Would he scold him and tell him not to do it again? Or would he send him into exile?
“How?”
The Emperor slowly turned to face Sig, rage and madness flickering in his eyes.
“Chase him to the ends of the earth and kill him, Sig. If he tries to run, cut off his legs, and if he begs for his life, cut out his tongue!”
Sig couldn’t help but smile at his uncle’s fierce command. He felt a twinge of guilt for his aunt, who was now in danger, but he had finally received the permission he had been waiting for.
